Chapter 25

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Princess Only Deals in the Real Thing 32

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It's already out of my hands.

I can't pull apart these hulking brutes anyway.

Please don't break the display case, I was thinking, when their eyes met.

That's when something truly bizarre happened.

'......Huh?'

The taut cord of tension snapped clean in two.

'Do they know each other?'

The gentleman thug narrowed his eyes at Alter. Alter raised a single eyebrow at the gentleman thug.

I was gauging this oddly unfolding situation when—

Alter beat the gentleman thug to speaking.

"Whatever you were doing doesn't matter. Your business looks finished anyway, so scram quick. Before this woman rounds up every last person like she said."

Alter spoke coldly.

The gentleman thug stared fixedly at him, his face settling back into its usual blank mask.

He turned his gaze to me and spoke in refined tones.

"Very well. I'll return."

"What do you mean, return?"

The gentleman thug let Alter's savage sarcasm roll off like water off a duck's back and continued.

"But my business isn't fully concluded. Don't bother hiding it. No matter what schemes you employ—even if you vanish—I will pursue you relentlessly and find you. Consider this advance warning."

"Is this 'don't waste your time'? You're the one wasting time right now."

"Yes, message received loud and clear."

"Why are you even answering him?"

"Your voice was so persuasive, I responded before I knew it."

"A sensible approach to survival. I expect the same cooperation next time. Farewell."

The man leaped away just as abruptly as he'd arrived.

I watched his retreating figure until it was gone, then slowly slid to the floor.

Alter approached, brow furrowed.

"Hey. You alright? Did that guy harm you or something?"

"No, nothing like that...... I didn't notice while he was here, but now that he's gone, I get it. That man's presence is no joke. Whew."

My legs had just given out. I jumped back up with fresh vigor.

I thought I glimpsed Alter's hand reaching out, then pulling back. But my curiosity burned hotter.

"Customer, do you know that guy by any chance?"

"......A bit."

"I see. I wasn't sure if he was an actual knight or just some guy in knight gear, but he is one, right?"

"Yeah."

"So knights normally talk like that—like a gentleman thug?"

"Wha...... what?"

Alter looked utterly baffled.

"That's what you were wondering?"

"Yes, that's the biggest curiosity. Are all knights like that?"

If I pry too much, he'll charge me. What if he asks for another favor? I just barely got a delay.

More than that—Alter knows that gentleman thug knight?

No wonder the guy seemed to recognize Alter. Just how notorious is this Alter fellow......

But I couldn't quench this thirst for answers.

I can't very well ask, Are you a big shot in the underworld? Is that why you're famous?

"I don't know if he always talks like a thug...... but not all knights are like that."

"Thank you."

"Why? Happy your weird question got answered?"

"No, thank you for the help."

Alter froze.

He looked like he'd never expected words like that. I couldn't help but smile.

Well, from Alter's view, someone trying to snatch the whole second floor he's got his eye on would piss him off.

Help was help, regardless.

I might've handled it solo, but who could've guessed that gentleman thug would pull a self-harm shakedown?

Thanks to Alter, it wrapped up fast. And the display case stayed intact!

I bowed deeply in thanks, then suddenly asked,

"So, what brings you here?"

Alter's eyes rolled down to my feet.

My feet? I looked down again and spotted something blue.

"Gasp, I didn't realize I was stepping on it. Sorry!"

It was his business card, of all things.

I'd rummaged through the card case earlier to fix the magic tool, and it must've dropped then.

How rude is this in the business world!

Of course, you with your chain-smoking had zero manners yourself!

I refuse to become like you!

I snatched it up quick and blew on it to clean it off. Alter let out a dry chuckle.

"It's just a card. I can give you a new one."

"Still. This is seriously impolite."

"Have you ever cared about politeness before? No clue. Just take it."

What, you only see what you want? This guy ignoring all my past efforts......

But with guilt nagging me, I accepted the new card eagerly.

To demonstrate utmost care, I even put on a show of slipping it into the most visible slot in my card case.

"Anyway, why are you here?"

"What was that knight after?"

"Beats me. He just demanded I open the second floor right off the bat, so even I don't know the details."

"He was looking for a holy artifact."

He caught that much?

Good lord, sharp ears.

"Did he say exactly which holy artifact?"

Why's he so curious about that?

Wasn't his thing swords?

Given Alter's public profession, I couldn't chalk it up to idle curiosity.

Maybe Rina's uncle commissioned the Intelligence Guild too. Threw around big money. Even if low-rank, anyone powerful enough to commandeer knights at will.

Having thought it through, I put on a crestfallen face. Couldn't share info.

"Yes. He didn't say."

Not a lie, at least.

The man hadn't specified what exactly.

Wait, then......

A way to boot that gentleman thug if he showed up again came to mind.

But first things first.

I had to handle the Alter in front of me.

"At first, you looked like a sparkly prince, so I had high hopes."

"What hopes exactly? And prince?"

"Princes seem like big spenders...... Thought today's sales would boom, was in a great mood, and then this happens."

"......Not a word of that makes any sense."

I pulled my mouth into a full pout and grumbled. Alter shook his head slowly.

Seemed I'd successfully painted myself as scatterbrained. My public image was veering weirder by the day, but whatever.

To derail this question-mark assassin, only one tactic worked.

That was when it happened.

*Ding.* The telegraph chimed.

Who could it be? William? Hanna?

I hurried over, delighted, sprayed the developer, and froze solid at the revealed text.

"Anyway, so that knight didn't specify what he wanted?"

"......"

"Hey? You listening?"

"Customer, sorry, but can we talk later?"

"Why?"

"Something super urgent came up for me."

I shooed out the baffled Alter, locked the door, and bolted for the Merchant Guild hall.

......It's from Hanna. Only one change from the usual form.

The guarantor.

To get approval, it has to be blood kin—or a noble whose very existence serves as proof......

Tesah, who had stepped out on impulse, watched Elisha sprint away without a backward glance. Toward the guild hall.

He'd heard there was a general assembly today. Was that so urgent?

No. Something more important.

Tesah knew exactly who that knight was.

Ayrun Hugo Radien. Imperial Holy Knight Captain of the Empire. Why here, of all places?

Why would a figure of his stature fixate on this pawnshop?

And he was hunting a holy artifact, no less.

Rugenoht, perhaps?

Not an impossible guess.

The Moro Duchy and Pressripe Empire shared the World Tree faith. Their views on holy artifacts aligned closely.

Rugenoht—a national treasure among the duchy's priceless relics.

The empire had every reason to covet it.

In fact, Tesah himself suspected the mage Aibor, who had stolen the sword, of acting on imperial orders.

But if Aibor handed the sword to the empire, the Holy Knight Captain wouldn't be out searching. ...Did Aibor betray the empire too?

Tesah's involuntarily grave expression suddenly eased.

Elisha's words had come back to him.

Gentleman thug....... Ha, probably only that woman would dub the Imperial Holy Knight Captain that.

At any rate, that gentleman thug hadn't recognized him.

The disguise magic tool accounted for potential weakening from holy power. Crafted by the duchy's finest mages, infused with their maximum mana.

Not even the Holy Knight Captain could pierce the power poured in by dozens of mages.

Still, that sharp gaze means his instincts and perception aren't half bad. Captain's a captain, after all.

But something nagged at him.

It was what the captain had said to the woman.

"If even I couldn't detect it...... what magic tool did you use?"

Why did it hurt when that woman touched it?